The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-02-05

~ MIN WHO OWeu thompson d con
siderable sum failed just before the da,
for paying him. The poor man haC
bills 10 meet next week, and he haC
/ been relying on this very sum to enable
HIM 10 take them up. He applied t.
his bankers 10 help HMM vain; ht
tried one old friend after another
was quite useless. Poor Thompson!
bills were dishonored, AID in mont
he was adjldicated bankrupt.
The comfortable establishment al
Blackheath was broken up; all thu
household goods-the girls piano, the
old mans easy chair, the pictures, the
very spoons and forks were seized and
sold. There were no friends at hant
to buy in some of the furniture and
help the disconsolate family to make a
fresh start. They went and hid them
selves in lodgings IN mean street ir
the region of Upper Holloway.
To complete the distress of the fam
lily, Tom, who was the only one O
them earning anything substantial, sud
denly lost his situation. Kate founc
some work as a daily governess, bu
her salary went but little way in keep.
ing the wolf from the door.
As the old man, now looking seedy
and threadbare, was returning home.
ward along Cheapside one bitter No.
vember day after an unsuccessful at
tempt to obtain employment as book,
keeper he met Mr.. Brandt face to face
As angry CLEAN came into the bank
rupt's eyes, for could not help enter
tanning feeling that the German had
had hand in his misfortunes-cer
tainly they had begun shortly after the
time when he had expelled the banker
from his house. But Brandt came up
to him, fat, hourisbing and smiling, and
held out his hand.
"Mr. Thompson-my old friend-I
was so sorry to hear of your misfor-
tunes.' He took the broken-down
merchants unresisting hand and press
ed it as he spoke. 81 would have
sought you out and offered my SYM
pathy sooner, but | feared you might
think it an intrusion, as we were not
on very good terms when we last parted
-eh2 But let bygones be bygones, as
your fine English proverb says. Here
is restaurant. Have you had lunch
What do you say to have chop and a
glass of sherry together, for old times
sake"
The poor old man was hungry and
he consented.
NOW tell me what | can do for you, :"
said the German, when Thompson had
finished the most comfortable meal he
had had for many a day. "TeIl ne
how you are all getting on
Every badly-all of us. Tom has
lost his situation"
"Ah. sob Well, we must find him
another one. Ard my old friend Mees
kate-how is she?o'
"She's tolerably WE'LL that is, she's
not strong and works too hard"
Yer sorry; yer sad," said the Ger
man, but his face did not betoken any
very great grief at the intelligence.
A little more conversation passed be-
tween the two men and then they
parted, Thompson giving his wealthy
friend his new address, and the latter
assuring him that he would do bis best
to find a berth tor "Mr Tom and
that he would write or call as soon as
he had any good news to communicate.
The old man went home inclined to
think that the banker was, after all, "a
good sort" and consratulIting himself
on having found friend in his time of
need.
A week had hardly elapsed from the
time of this fortunate meeting, when
the banker presented himself at No.
50 Battenberg Terrace, Upper Hollo-
way. Rates cheeks flushed as she
gave him her hand, and the German
thought (and rightly that she looked
quite as beautiful in her cheap merino
frock and imitation lace collar as she
had done in an expensive costume in
the days OF her fathers prosperity.
He said very little to her, turning
his attention chiefly to her father He
was the bearer of good news. He had
used his influence successfully with a
gentlemen whom he knew-a director
of an Indian Tea Company-and he
was able to offer Tom a post on a tea
plantation in India. 1t was not very
much, bet better than nothing, perhaps
and it was beginning. OF course
the offer was gratefully accepted on be-
half of the young man, who happened
to be out on that evening and after a
somewhat prolonged stay in the shabby
little sitting room, the banker took his
departure. There was something in
his manner, composed as 1t was, as he
shook hands with Kate, that told the
girl that he had not forgotten the events
of the previous year-that he was still
in heart her lover.
After this Mr.. Brandt became a
pretty frequent visitor at Battenberg
Terrace, and in various ways he con-
trived to make himself agreeable to the
disconsolate family. Thompson hap
pened to be a member of the Honor.
able Company of Buckle Makers. A
friend of Brandt'S, who was master
Buckle Maker, represented his case tc
| the hoard and after a LITTLE dpl1y the